Winter gardening–for many of us, those words don’t seem to go together. For example, in northern Ontario, winter is a time when gardens are buried under several feet of snow. In your region, however, winter might be your favorite time to garden! Wherever you are, you are still a gardener all year round.
Winter is an important time in the gardener’s calendar. It is a time to complete different tasks, including preparing and replenishing the soil for next year. With the right season extenders and the right plants, it is possible to continue gardening all year long. Winters across the United States are very diverse, so winter gardening will look different according to your region.
Winter gardening is a big topic. It goes far beyond “snuggle in your slippers and relax until spring.” To break it up, we’ll look at some general information first, and then take a look at five different regions of the US, with winter gardening advice for each region. (Fellow Canadians, the information for the northern regions will be applicable to most of us, too!)
Winter gardening tasks
As I’ve mentioned, winter is very different depending on your region. While every bit of the following information may not apply to every single reader, there are some general gardening tasks well-suited to the winter months.
Take care of your tools
The first thing you can do, no matter your region, is give your gardening tools some love. Sharpen all your cutting tools–loppers, scissors, saws, shears, pruners. Oil up any moving parts that have become stiff over time.
Take an inventory of what you have, and make a list of any tools you need. Be the smart shopper, and take advantage of end-of-season sale prices. When spring rolls around, and you aren’t fumbling around to buy what you need at full price, you will thank yourself!
Prune trees and shrubs
Pruning trees and shrubs during their dormant season can help prevent the spread of disease. When you prune, you’re cutting into live tissue, and sometimes your shears can pick up bacteria along with it. Some bacteria, such as fire blight, get transferred on gardening tools in warm weather. Pruning during the winter also allows plenty of time for wound closure before spring.
Don’t go crazy with the cutting here. Remember, it’s easier to snip it back further than to put it back together. Actually, it’s impossible to put it back together.
It’s like getting a haircut, or adding salt to a soup. Go slow.
When you’re pruning, make sure that your tools are sharp. Dull scissors or shears can damage a plant.
Recordkeeping
Every spring, I open my gardening notes document and tell myself that, this year, I’m going to take studious notes on what I planted, how much I planted, and when I planted.
Every year, the note-taking drops off.
Fall and winter are a good time to finish up the gaps in your record, or to make a few brief notes if you don’t have any records started.
While things are still relatively fresh in your mind, jot down the details. What worked well this past year? What didn’t? What did you wish you had more of? What did you find yourself overrun by?
I enjoy growing vegetables, so my family’s eating habits and preferences are a very helpful compass. The kids loved the sweet peas–grow more next year! Or, I had no idea what to do with all those radishes. These kind of notes, coupled with the numbers of what exactly I planted, help guide me in the spring when things have become a little fuzzy in my memory.
Another very important thing to note, while it’s fresh in your mind, is the location of your various plants. First, this can help you determine which areas of the garden were more successful than others, and why. It’s also important to rotate your crops, to maintain the nutrients in the soil; writing down exactly where you planted things this year will help you shift your crops effectively next year.
Planning
After writing down all the information you can about this past year, reliving the victories and the struggles, spend some time dreaming about next year’s garden. Take the time to research what plants to rotate with others, and sketch out some ideas for next year’s garden map. If some specific questions or challenges arose this past year, winter is a good time to settle in and do some research, learning from other gardeners as well as gardening experts.
(Here you are, doing some research already by reading this post! Pat yourself on the back.)
In your record keeping and planning, be sure to write down specifics about seeds. Which ones did well, and which ones didn’t? Which ones would you like to try out next year? Making your shopping list now, while things are still fresh, will boost the next garden experience.
When spring rolls around, there will be plenty to do. You’ll be eager to buy seeds and get them going, itching to literally get your hands dirty. You might as well do the research and the thinking ahead of time, so you’re ready for action when it’s grow-time!
Preparing the soil
We all know that plants need soil, water, and sun. Every gardener should pay attention to the quality of their soil. Most gardeners–especially if you’re growing crops in the same patch of land year after year–need to actively adjust and enrich their soil.
Fall and winter are a very important time to restore soil nutrients taken from spring and summer plants. Heavy feeding vegetables, like squash and tomatoes, will have extracted a lot of nutrients from your soil during their growing season.
There are many different ways to add nutrients to the soil. The key is to add organic matter–any plant or animal material that is returned to the soil. According to Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education, organic matter “consists of three distinctly different parts—living organisms, fresh residues, and well-decomposed residues. These three parts of soil organic matter are: the living, the dead, and the very dead. This three-way classification may seem simple and unscientific, but it is very useful.”
I couldn’t have put it better myself. The living, the dead, and the very dead.
The living refers to what is literally alive in your garden–earthworms, insects, plant roots, fungi, etc. The dead stuff is what was quite recently alive–freshly dead insects or worms, old plant roots, fruit and vegetable scraps, or recently added manure. This dead stuff is food for the living, and this process of decomposition will release their nutrients back into the soil. The very dead stuff is humus. Although once living, it is now long-dead and thoroughly decomposed. You can’t look at it and see what it once was. Humus is rich in nutrients, and these nutrients are accessible to plants.
Here are some ways to boost the amount of organic matter in your soil:
Trench composting
The idea of trench composting is pretty simple. First, collect fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grinds, shredded newspaper, and garden scraps. Don’t add in any cooked food, meat, or raw egg, as these will attract pests. In the fall, I love making soups, or preparing fruits and vegetables for freezing or canning. It’s the perfect time to keep a pot on the counter to throw scraps into, and to trench compost when full.
Dig a trench, about the width of your shovel, that is 45-60cm (18-24 inches) deep. Length will depend on how much compost you have on hand to bury. You want a good layer across the bottom of your trench.
Dump in the compost, using your shovel to spread it across the bottom of the trench. Once that’s done, bury it and, if needed, mark off the area so you remember where you buried.
I am attempting trench composting for the first time this year. Before the snow arrived, I buried lots of scraps in the garden, specifically in the area where I grew my squash and pumpkin this past year. Pot by pot, I filled up a trench that eventually ran the length of the garden bed–an artery of nutritious foods for all my living organisms in the soil and, eventually, for next year’s crops. While digging, my three-year-old son was quite happy to discover long wriggling worms and to think that we were serving them up a meal. Hopefully, all those nutrients will be evident in the garden next summer.
Aged manure
Manure is rich in nutrients, and is a great way to boost the organic matter content in your soil. It’s a source of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
Manure is also home to bacteria. If you are eating from you garden, you want to give lots of time between adding aged manure and growing your plants–at least 120 days. Applying fresh manure that is very high in nitrogen, such as chicken manure, can actually burn plant roots. Adding manure in the fall will allow time before your next planting season (in many regions).
Aged manure is manure that has been dry heated, reducing smell and risk of bacteria, while still preserving nutrients. You can age manure by mixing it with straw and leaves, and letting it sit in the heat of the sun for several months. Or you can compost manure by adding manure to an outdoor compost pile.
For many of us backyard gardeners, purchasing aged manure or composted manure is the most convenient solution. Add the manure to the garden by working it into your compost or soil.
Mulch
In many regions, the quintessential image of fall are piles of fallen leaves. Autumn leaves decorate tea towels and wreaths, and preschoolers collect & glue it into crafts. They are abundant and free for the taking–and they make a great mulch. Spread over your garden, since it provides extra protection from the harshness of winter, and adds nutrients to the soil.
Other options, such woodchips or grass clippings, are excellent mulch options.
Planting cover crops
Winter cover crops are plants that grow well in the cold, protect the soil from erosion, and, as in the case of winter grains, grow vast underground root systems that will add nutrients to the soil. Some legume winter cover crops, such as winter peas, produce nitrogen nodules that will be left in the soil for the next crop.
While not classified as cover crops, weeds can also provide some of the same services. Leaving weeds alone over winter, or perhaps only pulling up the most aggressive, will also build nutrients in the soil and prevent erosion. Leaving your soil untended will also let the roots and materials from last year’s plants recycle into the garden.
Season extenders for your winter garden
You don’t have to resign yourself to only caring for garden soil, or researching for next year. If you want to keep growing crops all year long, you can use a variety of different season extenders to do so, depending on your region.
Raised beds are a common way to keep soil slightly warmer–especially in winter. For more detailed info, check out our complete article on winter gardening using raised beds.
Some common season extenders that help you squeeze more gardening out of your winter months, or get seedlings started early in the spring:
Mulch
Mulch is a material that covers the soil in a garden. In winter, mulch is used to insulate the ground and protect roots from freezing/thawing/refreezing during the ups and downs of winter temperatures, a cycle which can damage them. Winter mulch should be coarse, allow for air and water to infiltrate, and provide insulation. Organic materials can also add nutrients to the soil (bonus!). Some examples: straw, woodchips, pine bark, cypress mulch, or cedar mulch.
Cold frame
A cold frame is a structure built low to the ground, and enclosed by a roof that can be lifted as a door. The transparent roof allows sunlight in, but protects plants from cold, reduces excessive moisture, and prevents heat from escaping.
Hoops and row covers
When frost begins to threaten, you can protect your plants with a hoop system. This is a series of hoops set firmly into the ground, sometimes attached to a base, along the length of your garden. A row cover is stretched over top, and what you use as the cover will depend on your climate and your plants’ needs. Voila! This creates a low tunnel of protection for your plants.
Hotbed
A hotbed is a garden space that has a deep layer of fresh manure, mixed with straw, followed by a 20cm – 30cm layer of soil. As the manure breaks down, it generates heat. Whether it is built in a pit, in a cold frame, or in a greenhouse, there is some type of structure that helps hold the heat in. Hotbeds can provide heat to plants for up to two months before fresh materials need to be added.
Cloche
Cloche is the French word for bell, because the original garden cloches were glass bell-shaped covers used in France. (Picture the glass cover on the rose in Beauty and the Beast!) While materials for modern cloches can vary, the idea is essentially the same: a portable greenhouse that can be plopped over one small area, or even one individual plant, at a time.
Starting seeds indoors
Many plants can be started indoors, long before it’s safe to sow outside. If you have a short growing season in your region, this can be the only way to bring certain plants to maturity in time. There is nothing like a tray of little green seedlings, in front of a dreary window view, to boost your spirits in late winter.
Not all plants are able to be transplanted, so be sure to check ahead of time. You can read the guide for when to transplant seedlings. The level of commitment and complexity can vary greatly for growing indoors, from a simple egg carton of seeds to an elaborate system of pulleys and grow lights.
You can also experiment with using a seedling heat mat to start seeds.
No matter where you live, winter is a time to experiment. Temperatures can vary year by year; something that is successful one year may fail the next, or vice versa. When it comes to winter gardening, relax, enjoy and be willing to try new things.
Do you need to heat your greenhouse?
Depending on your region & climate, heating your greenhouse is another option to extend the growing season.
A common question growers ask is “How warm does a greenhouse get in winter?” Great question. The answer is “it depends.” However, we’ve got you covered. We wrote an entire article answering how warm a greenhouse gets in winter.
You may already know you want to heat your greenhouse. This is most common if:
- you live in a very cold climate
- your region gets little sun in winter
- you want to grow crops that aren’t cold-tolerant
In that case, you can check out the articles below:
- how to heat a greenhouse in winter for free
- how to heat a greenhouse without electricity
- solar heating for a greenhouse
Winter gardening by region:
The Northwest
In the Pacific northwest, there is a lot that can keep a gardener busy throughout the fall and winter.
After harvesting spring plants, a fall and winter harvest can be planted in the mid-summer months. Be sure to choose a location that will guarantee as much sunlight as possible during the winter. These young plants may need extra care in the summer heat, with extra watering and possibly protection from the sun. As temperatures drop, some plants will need the use of season extenders to cover them and protect them from frost. Cold frames, hotbeds, cloches and row covers can all be useful ways to preserve your garden. Other vegetables and herbs, such as cabbage, spinach, and kale, can easily withstand some frost; the taste of certain vegetables can actually be improved by a bit of frost.
Some fall vegetables can be grown over winter, but you should expect that they will grow more slowly.
This guide for fall and winter gardening in the Pacific northwest has more information, including a table that gives specific planting dates for various winter crops.
Planted in the fall, cool-weather crops can be enjoyed all winter long, or cover crops can be grown to enhance your soil. The timing of things is important; you want to make sure that cool-weather crops will reach maturity before the warmth of spring arrives, to prevent them from bolting too early.
Published by the University of California, this guide for fall and winter gardening in Los Angeles County provides detailed lists of plants that can be sown, transplanted or divided throughout the winter months. Lucky you! I have to admit, as it is mid-November and I have a literal snowstorm outside, I am quite jealous.
More hot chocolate.
The Southwest
In many parts of the southwest, gardens can be productive all year long. In fact, after the merciless heat of summer, fall and winter are the perfect time to do any heavy-labor gardening tasks and maintenance. Cool-season plants can be sown in September, and warm-season plants can be sown in March.
Herbs do well during winter. Some can be planted directly outside, while others can be moved from indoors to outdoors to continue their growing season.
In warmer areas of the west, such as southern California, the situation is different. Mild winters mean that you can garden all year round, sowing seeds or transplanting seeds right through September to February. Rather than packing up your garden tools in the fall, it’s time to get them out and get started.
Many fruit and citrus trees do very well in the southwest all year long. Apples and berries, along with stone fruits like apricots, nectarines and peaches, are good choices. In the case of citrus trees, it may be wise to wait until February or March to plant them outside, to ensure that the coldest winter temperatures are behind you.
Cool-weather, leafy vegetables can be planted over the winter in the southwest; other vegetables that take awhile to mature, such as squash and melon, can be started indoors in preparation for spring.
While many other regions lose their vibrant colors with the falling of autumn leaves, flower gardens in the southwest can continue to thrive. Desert marigold, tufted evening primrose, and autumn sage are good choices. Winter can also be the perfect time to transplant certain houseplants, such as pansies and petunias.
This article breaks down the southwest into smaller regions, giving more detailed advice for your specific subregion.
The Southeast
Like the southwest, fall and winter in the southeast can be the ideal time to dig into your garden. After the heat of summer, make the most of the cooler months. It’s a great time to work outside! Get any heavy-labor tasks and maintenance out of the way.
One of your gardening tasks may be pruning. In February, prune summer flowering shrubs or trees. Be sure not to prune spring flowering plants, as this will not allow the plant enough time to heal before it blossoms.
In the southeast, February is a good time to sow or transplant cool-weather crops. Compared to other regions in the US, you have a big head start on spring! Warm weather crops, especially those that take a long time to mature, such as squash or melon, can be started indoors in February as well.
This article, published by NC State University, gives a good overview of winter tips and tasks for the southeast.
The Northeast
Okay, northeasterners, things may be looking pretty grim for you right now compared to the other regions we’ve gone over. Here in Ontario, I love the snow, but after talking about southern Californians enjoying fresh produce all year long … I feel a little down.
Don’t worry, there is still much to do to let out your gardening impulses and enjoy the winter months.
Winter prep
First, a lot of the winter tasks we went over at the beginning of the article apply to you. Take care of your tools, take inventory, buy what you need, and spend time recording and researching. Taking notes on last year’s garden, researching which seeds you’d like to try in the spring, and mapping out next year’s garden will be time well spent.
To be prepared for the cold winter months, store all of your tools indoors to prevent them from rusting. Be sure to drain and properly store garden hoses to prevent them from freezing and becoming damaged. Before you put away all of your tools, take time now to prune trees and shrubs.
Season extenders
With the right season extenders, you don’t need to give up on gardening and harvesting. Some vegetables, like carrots and parsnips, actually taste much better when harvested in the winter because their starches turn to sugar. A cold frame, cloches, or row cover can protect plants well into winter. A greenhouse can give you fresh leafy greens all year long.
No matter how warm your garden is with your chosen season extender, you are still dealing with less hours of sunlight. You need to choose cool-weather plants, such as greens, root vegetables and brassicas; additionally, you should choose plants that mature quickly.
Planning
Planning out a garden that will look beautiful throughout the winter months is a good idea in the northeast, considering that winter makes up almost half the year.
When you create your garden and yard space, think about the “bones” of the garden that will continue to show all year long. Trees and shrubs with striking bark–such as paperbark maple, or the striking red of dogwood–will look beautiful against a snowy backdrop. Berry-producing trees and bushes will also provide a welcome note of color to your yard, as well as attract some feathered friends. Evergreen plants frosted with snow, tall grasses waving in the wind, and even winter-blooming flowers can all work together to create a beautiful wintry landscape.
Soon after moving into our new home, my husband transplanted dogwood into our front yard. In the depths of winter, I enjoy the deep red twigs against sparkling snowdrifts. I even keep some in a jar in the kitchen, as a kind of winter bouquet.
This Wall Street Journal article goes into excellent detail, listing plants you can select to create a gorgeous view from your window all year long.
Even when the sun is setting by dinner, and you feel like you’ve been scraping ice off of your car for ages, remember that spring is coming. A wonderful way to mark the changing of the seasons is to plant first-sign-of-spring seeds and bulbs in your garden.
Overwintering plants
There are many plants that can over-winter in your garden to ensure an early spring harvest:
- Members of the alliacea family, such as onions, leeks and garlics
- Many root vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, beets, and radishes
- Greens, such as spinach, arugula and bok choy
- Spring bulbs, such as tulips, crocuses and snowdrops
At my front door, tulips bloom every year–a leftover gift from a former resident of the house. It feels like magic to see soft, colorful petals signaling the first days of spring.
The Midwest
In the midwestern states, as in northern Ontario where I am typing from, there is an urgency to fall gardening tasks. Winter is coming, winter is coming. And once it arrives, we know it’s here to stay.
This year, I knew my trench composting days were numbered in October. Sure enough, the day after Halloween, things seemed to snap from fall to winter. Our porch pumpkins froze and were frosted with snow the first day of November, and almost every day following we were able to go sledding at the park down the street.
Winter prep
In order to keep your garden healthy over the winter months, you do need to take steps before winter arrives, in late fall.
Be sure to water your plants well in the final weeks before winter, so that they have enough moisture to draw upon and last until spring. When it comes to pruning perennials, if the plant is healthy, just leave it alone and let it die back naturally. If it is diseased, be sure to prune away infected areas and remove them from the garden. To prepare for the harsh midwestern winter, cover your garden. Put at least three inches of compost, straw, leaves, or bark mulch over your soil. You can leave the soil itself undisturbed, allowing pollinating bees to hibernate in peace, and to allow nutrients from last year’s root systems recycle into the soil.
In the midwest, many of the winter tasks we went over at the beginning of the article will apply. Take care of your tools, take inventory, buy what you need, and spend time recording and researching. Taking notes on last year’s garden, researching which seeds you’d like to try in the spring, and mapping out next year’s garden will be time well spent.
To be prepared for the cold winter months, store all of your tools indoors to prevent them from rusting. Be sure to drain and properly store garden hoses to prevent them from freezing and becoming damaged. Before you put away all of your tools, take time now to prune trees and shrubs.
Season extenders
Similar to the northeastern region, the right season extenders can help you get many more months of gardening and harvesting. Some vegetables, like carrots and parsnips, actually taste much better when harvested in the winter because their starches turn to sugar. A cold frame, cloches, or row cover can protect plants well into winter. But in the depths of midwestern winter, a greenhouse is really the only way that you can keep gardening all winter long.
No matter how warm you can keep your plants with the right season extender, you are still dealing with less hours of sunlight. You need to choose cool-weather plants, such as greens, root vegetables and brassicas; additionally, you should choose plants that mature quickly.
Planning
In the midwest, as in the northeast, planning out a garden that will look beautiful throughout the winter months is a good idea, considering that winter makes up almost half the year.
When you create your garden and yard space, think about the “bones” of the garden that will continue to show all year long. Trees and shrubs with striking bark–such as paperbark maple, or the striking red of dogwood–will look beautiful against a snowy backdrop. Berry-producing trees and bushes will also provide a welcome note of color to your yard, as well as attract some feathered friends. Evergreen plants frosted with snow, tall grasses waving in the winds, and even winter-blooming flowers can all work together to create a beautiful wintry landscape.
Bird feeders are another feature that can bring joy to your winter garden. Whimsical birdhouses and feeders dotted around the yard and hanging by your window give you something to tend to and enjoy. While there may not be flowers blooming outside, the flitting of feathers is a welcome sign of life in a motionless landscape. Homemade bird feeders can be a fun winter craft for the whole family, providing beautiful decoration to your trees and shrubs, as well as a treat for squirrels and birds.
While you’re crafting indoors, you can bring your gardening inside, too. Keeping house plants all year long can satisfy your green thumb; multicolored pots and green leaves will brighten your home, improve the air quality and lift your spirits.
Overwintering
Even when the sun is setting by dinner, and you feel like you’ve been scraping ice off of your car for ages, remember that spring is coming. A wonderful way to mark the changing of the seasons is to plant first-sign-of-spring seeds and bulbs in your garden. That way, you’ll be the first to notice when spring arrives!
There are many plants that can over-winter in your garden to ensure an early spring harvest:
- Members of the alliacea family, such as onions, leeks and garlics
- Many root vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, beets, and radishes
- Greens, such as spinach, arugula and bok choy
- Spring bulbs, such as tulips, crocuses and snowdrops
There’s a special place in every gardener’s heart for the plant that is their first sign of spring. In my vegetable garden, I love my rhubarb. The deep green, tightly curled leaves are the first to appear in my barren patch. Even when dusted with fresh snowfall, the rhubarb stirs my heart with excitement, with the certain hope that spring is on its way.
‘Tis the season … for gardening!
The definition of a gardener is, according to the Oxford dictionary, “a person who tends and cultivates a garden as a pastime or for a living.” Tending your garden is a year-long endeavour, whether you are boosting your soil, planning for next year, or actively harvesting every month of the calendar. Whatever winter looks like in your region, or in your yard, you are still a gardener. Enjoy your winter gardening!
Related questions
What can I plant in the winter?
Plants that you can plant in the winter, to ensure an early spring harvest:
- Members of the alliacea family, such as onions, leeks and garlics
- Many root vegetables, such as turnips, carrots, beets, and radishes
- Greens, such as spinach, arugula and bok choy
- Spring bulbs, such as tulips, crocuses and snowdrops
How do I prepare my garden for winter?
How to best prepare your garden for winter depends on your region. Some general guidelines to prepare your garden for winter:
- Ensure sufficient watering
- Prune trees and shrubs as needed
- Enrich the soil with compost, manure or biodegradable mulch to restore nutrients lost during the previous growing season
- If needed, plant a cover crop to prevent erosion, add nutrients to the soil, and deter weeds
- Cover the soil with mulch (straw, leaves, bark mulch) to keep it insulated during the winter months
- Don’t over-till the soil; let last year’s old roots and plant material be returned to the earth
What can you grow in a greenhouse in the winter?
Again, this depends on your region and your type of greenhouse. Even if you are able to keep your plants warm, you will still be limited by the reduced hours of sunlight. Choose cool-weather plants to grow in your greenhouse during the winter, such as greens, herbs, brassicas and root vegetables. To ensure success, choose varieties that will mature quickly.
